Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Top Ten Most Played Wii Games According to the Nintendo Channel

I recently (as in just today) downloaded the Nintendo Channel. It has a host of cool videos and information about current Nintendo products. Yeah, yeah, yeah... By far the coolest part for me was being able to see my playtime for ALL of my played Wii games. All 138 of them! This list showcases the top ten most played Wii games according to the Nintendo Channel. Included by the game names are the total times of each game played either by myself or in combination with a family member.

10) Super Paper Mario - 35 Hrs. 56 Min.

This seems to be a love or hate kind of game. I throw my beginning statement under the bus by stating that I merely liked the game. My brother enjoyed it as well. Regardless of your opinion of the game, it was one long journey. There were a lot of laughs to be had, tricky dimensional puzzles to solve, and big, grueling bosses to beat down. Super Paper Mario narrowly beat out Mario Kart Wii and New Super Mario Bros. for the ten spot. If I wrote this article a week later, Mario Kart Wii would probably be here instead.

9) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 36 Hrs. 49 Min.

I originally started Twilight Princess when I got my Wii in 2006. I got up until the end of the second dungeon before other games took advantage of me, violated me, and took up my time. I got back into the game in the latter half of last year, and wow, did it floor me. It was a wonderful adventure for the most part, but some of the wolf segments dragged on a bit. Other than that little caveat, the adventure was a terrific experience no matter which console you prefer to play it on.8) We Love Golf! - 37 Hrs. 9 Min.

We certainly do as three golf games appear on this list. The first is a little-known title featuring the unintentional likenesses of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin... as well as a vast assortment of characters sporting Capcom costumes like Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter. There's eight beautifully-designed courses in all plus three short courses to tackle. Add in online play and music by Motoi Sakuraba, and you have a golf game that's hard to resist. Camelot Software certainly knows how to craft an excellent virtual golf outing.

The real shocker here is that I only turned on the power for this game twelve times! It must have been addicting playing as the little bird, and it definitely was. The game is a mystery dungeon-styled rogue-like where you enter dungeons, moving space to space. As you move or do an action, so do the enemies inhabiting the dungeon. It's a strategic game, it's a blast to play, and I always gush when I have the opportunity to talk about this gem of a title.

6) Wario Land: Shake It! - 47 Hrs. 33 Min.

This is another game that I got my older brother to try, and he enjoyed it greatly as did I. If you're just running through the levels as fast as possible and not exploring, you're really missing out. I won't say you're playing the game wrong, but if you're not having fun playing Shake It!, that may be a reason why. Exploring the levels show the intricacies of the design and how the levels are built to flow well. Did I mention the excellent soundtrack?

5) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play - 48 Hrs. 12 Min.

Who knew the title All-Play could gain a second meaning after the recent troubles Tiger Woods has gone through? Regardless, unlike other versions of the All-Play brand, this one was certainly not dumbed down. It had all the fun and features you'd expect from EA's series, and plenty of content to match. The online play is some of the Wii's best, and that tradition would continue with the sequel.

4) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 - 49 Hrs. 46 Min.

My brother and I had gotten the swing of things from the previous installment of the franchise, so we settled right in with PGA Tour 10. What made this entry notable was that it was one of the first games to utilize the MotionPlus accessory, and boy, did it rock. Never before was swinging the virtual club so intuitive, and it felt great, too. From playing through all the single-player modes and tours to online and local fun (disc golf, anyone?), Tiger Woods really shined in 2010's installment.

3) Super Mario Galaxy - 59 Hrs. 3 Min.

Some call it the game of the generation, we just called it plain fun. Though to be fair, it was the game of the year for 2007 for me personally. Running around planetoids, collecting coins and power stars, messing around with the impressive physics engine, and just having a grand old time. I must have played through the game at least four times, and my older brother two. Thus, you get this impressive amount of playtime. However, game number one easily doubles it.

2) Animal Crossing: City Folk - 113 Hrs. 0 Min.

Managing your own town is a lot of work-- especially when you've got shady raccoons and slowpoke mayors to trifle with! Unlike other games on this list, a good portion of City Folk's playtime was online with friends met far and wide. This is also one of the few games my brother and I both played regularly, picking weeds, chatting it up with the locals, and furnishing our homes with the rarest wares. Yes, life in the big city is tough, but we persevered!

1) Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 143 Hrs. 41 Min.

It was the brawl to end them all, and it's the Nintendo compendium of stages and characters to end them all as well. Thirty plus characters, thirty plus stages, and a bevy of content from the 100+ soundtrack to the loads of modes. The SuperPhillip household spent a long time playing through this game locally, unlocking every character, stage, CD, trophy, and sticker (but not quite!). It's the game that keeps on giving, it's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Could there be any other Wii game we'd play for so long?

Time to open it up to the floor. What games are your most played on the Wii?